The Senate approved a two-year federal budget agreement last week, setting the stage for appropriators to develop a suite of FY14 spending bills and avoid another government shutdown next month.
The deal, negotiated by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.), sets an FY14 discretionary spending level of $1.012 trillion and cancels out $22 billion worth of sequestration cuts for non-defense programs. The House of Representatives approved the deal earlier this month.
Some of the additional funding could be directed toward EPA’s budget, but that decision will be made over the next few weeks when congressional appropriators meet to carve up the $1.012 trillion among various federal departments and programs. They will aim to move a detailed FY14 spending plan through Congress before a current temporary appropriations bill expires on January 15.